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Tag: Certification

  • The Price of a Profession

    The Price of a Profession

  • Milestones and Certifications

    Milestones and Certifications

  • Value Stream Management Consortium Makes Debut

    Value Stream Management Consortium Makes Debut

    A consortium dedicated to advancing the adoption of value stream management best practices is being launched today with backing from Digital.ai, HCL Software, Plutora, ServiceNow and Tasktop.

    The Value Stream Management Consortium (VSMC) will create an open community around which organizations that are seeking to expand DevOps workflows and processes across functions and organizations can more easily collaborate.

    VSMC chair Helen Beal said that while value stream management has been around as a concept for years, the number of organizations that have fully embraced the concept remains relatively small. The VSMC is dedicated to enabling organizations to orchestrate software development processes more flexibly, she said.

    VSMC Chair Helen Beal

    That goal has proven elusive, because it requires a level of collaboration between release managers, DevOps managers and product managers as well as IT and business leaders. Value stream management provides a framework for enabling organizations to embrace value stream management concepts as they become more adept at employing DevOps workflows to manage multiple application development initiatives simultaneously.

    Initially, Beal said, the VSMC will function as a central hub of information and education pertaining to value stream management. Ongoing research will track how organizations measure value. Eventually, the VSMC will provide certified training, Beal added.

    The concept of value stream management traces its lineage back to lean manufacturing methods, which called for each step of a manufacturing process to be continuously measured. As software development has evolved from being a craft to a process that is automated as much as possible using DevOps best practices, an appreciation for the value of monitoring things such as the impact of missed software development deadlines on the business is growing steadily as organizations realize how dependent on software they have become.

    As organizations come to terms with this new reality, many also realize there is a much greater need to align software development with their core business processes. Value stream management platforms automatically take technical metrics, gathered via a DevOps process, and match them to a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) defined by business leaders. The challenge many organizations still face is making sure they have the tools in place to collect the appropriate technical metrics and then define the KPIs that truly matter to the business. Once those metrics are gathered and KPIs established, organizations are then able to apply advanced analytics to the massive amounts of DevOps data they collect.

    Business leaders are especially anxious to understand how any software development project delay might impact future revenue projections. Rather than being a set of tools employed mainly by IT leaders to track software development projects, value stream management platforms make it possible for other stakeholders to track KPIs spanning multiple software development projects. It then becomes easier to make informed decisions about how to reassign resources across various projects as different bottlenecks are encountered.

    It may be a while before organizations achieve that level of DevOps sophistication, but as software continues to eat the world it’s only a matter of time before value stream management becomes the table stakes organizations will need to survive and, hopefully, thrive.

  • The Top Benefits of a Scrum Certification

    The Top Benefits of a Scrum Certification

    The Scrum framework is a staple part of many businesses – and for good reason. The agile process is used to construct, deliver and iterate products and has proven to boost cross-functional teams’ productivity, as well as product quality. And, like most processes, Scrum can be mastered with the right training and commitment. Specifically, a Scrum certification teaches the fundamentals of the framework and serves as proof of qualification for a particular role within that framework.

    Scrum certifications vary, but are typically awarded for the roles of Professional Scrum Master, Product Owner and Scrum Developers. These positions have become increasingly more popular over the years; one report reveals that 24% of organizations have ten or more Scrum Masters or Agile Certified Practitioners, while in a sample of 500,000 certified people, 85% correspond to a Scrum certification program.

    Having a Scrum certification opens many doors, both professionally and personally, as it provides a competitive edge and demonstrates an in-depth understanding of contemporary workflows. Whether you’re considering taking a Scrum course through your company, or pursuing a class independently, here are a few of the top benefits.

    Adapt to Changing Conditions

    Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and its significant disruption to businesses, organizations had to swiftly adapt to new ways of working. Operating remotely, adopting new digital tools, complications in supply chains, just to name a few, are all challenges met with patience and proactivity. People who work under the tenets of the Scrum mindset tend to be more resilient and better able to respond to unexpected events in a practical manner.

    Rapid fluctuation in personnel, technology and working practices have less of a negative impact on employees, and especially leaders, that are Scrum certified. In shifting environments, the larger organization can be confident that their teams are being guided by Scrum principles and constantly progressing.

    What’s more, people with a Scrum certification can help their teams better adapt to sudden changes without compromising business goals. Scrum emphasizes prioritization of tasks in order of importance; placing the task with the biggest impact on ROI at the top of the list. This method not only maintains productivity but can actually increase it, despite external disruptions.

    Master all Things Scrum

    A Scrum certification highlights that a person is dedicated and hardworking, and is committed to continuous learning and improvement. It is a reflection of the certificate holder’s expertise in helping others and meeting goals. On a more granular level, the certification can help people discover and become familiar with concepts like product backlog, sprint backlog and burndown charts – elements that are common across businesses and industries.

    A Scrum certification can also boost personal communication skills, as it forces people to regularly produce and share relevant reports, deadlines and calendars with their team. These exchanges demand clarity, timeliness and emotional intelligence, which are core soft skills that contribute to the collective success of a team.

    Certified Scrum holders also benefit from their inclusion in a network of qualified Scrum authorities where they can leverage others’ exclusive guidance and knowledge. They can subsequently bring innovative ideas from fellow Scrum experts to their workplace, and leave a powerful legacy through the changes they implement.

    Gain an Advantage in the Hiring Pool

    A Scrum certification also makes a person a much more appealing candidate in the recruitment process. In a competitive hiring landscape, a Scrum certification demonstrates that a candidate is willing to devote time to solving complex, adaptive problems – a quality that will always catch employers’ eyes.

    In fact, 87% of people agree that Scrum improves the quality of work life for teams, while 81% of people believe certifications improve their use of Scrum. A certification shows that someone knows how to manage dynamic priorities, how to deliver products to market in a short space of time and how to increase project visibility. The Scrum qualification is particularly useful for managing large, cross-functional teams. For these reasons, a person with a Scrum certification will be a prime applicant in any hiring pool.

    There can be financial benefits too. Possessing a Scrum certification can lead to higher salaries, because these credentials are so highly sought-after. Certified Scrum Managers tend to earn more, on average, than their non-certified peers, so Scrum candidates are in a stronger position when negotiating compensation.

    The COVID-19 pandemic has presented new opportunities for professionals to invest in their careers on a long-term basis. Scrum techniques and methods prepare workers to generate ideas that make sense in an uncertain sphere, and those who invest in Scrum are making themselves invaluable in today’s workplace.

    A Scrum certification is a way to develop business ideas, projects and services in a smarter, more agile manner. But more than that, a Scrum certification also leads to heightened personal skills, employment desirability and resilience.

  • Linux Foundation Adds Entry-Level Certification

    Linux Foundation Adds Entry-Level Certification

    The Linux Foundation has announced the development of a new entry-level certification exam to complement their existing Linux Foundation Certified Sysadmin (LFCS) and Linux Foundation Certified Engineer (LFCE) exams. This new certification, the Linux Foundation Certified IT Associate (LFCA), targets people just moving into systems administration.

    The certification will focus on the test taker’s knowledge of the fundamentals of system administration. We are in a complex world with a lot of systems administration options, and the LFCA intends to touch a little bit on each of the areas a new admin might run into. The test is still in development, but the areas that The Linux Foundation intends to focus on include:

    • Linux Fundamentals
    • System Administration Fundamentals
    • Cloud Computing Fundamentals
    • Security Fundamentals
    • DevOps Fundamentals
    • Supporting Applications and Developers

    The categories will be complementary, with Linux Fundamentals including user and password management, for example, but security going more in-depth on that particular topic.

    In keeping with being accessible for people with entry-level knowledge of the above areas, this certification will be a single exam. That means a user need not wade through dozens of courses and exams to get started in their chosen area of specialty, and the other two certifications are available when the user is ready to move beyond the basics.

    Currently, The Linux Foundation has the following learning path for these exams:

        Introduction to Linux (LFS101) Training
        Essentials of Linux System Administration (LFS201) Training
        Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator (LFCS) Certification
        Linux Networking and Administration (LFS211) Training
        Linux Foundation Certified Engineer (LFCE) Certification
        Linux Security Fundamentals (LFS216) Training

    The LFCA is designed to fit between “Introduction to Linux” and “Essentials of Linux System Administration” to make a pairing of courses and certification exams to carry a system administrator through their career.

    In the midst of business closings and social distancing both increasing the amount of working from home that knowledge workers are involved in, on-site proctored examinations have suffered. This is unfortunate, as there is a spike in the number of people looking to improve their position through certification.

    Since its first exam, the Linux Foundation has offered online exams through a partnership with a proctoring organization. The approach is simple: Webcam, screen-sharing and chat are available to the proctor to monitor the test taker’s activities. Further, the entire session is recorded, so any misunderstandings can be reviewed. The fact that remote proctoring is standard for The Linux Foundation and the organization has been doing it for years hopefully means that proctoring is unobtrusive, and the test-taker can generally just take their test with minimum technical issues.

    The rush to remote proctored testing has created problems for some organizations; having had years to work it out should mean this is not a problem for The Linux Foundation in general and LFCA specifically.

    So if you have friends/coworkers interested in moving in this direction but are unable or unwilling to work through four years of university to get started, point them toward the LFCA. There are a lot of options, but the LFCA has less overhead than many of the other options and will help them settle on whether they are ready to pursue their dream.

    We’ll circle back and do a more in-depth look when the certification is released because there are two parts to a certification—who it benefits and what prospective employers think. We’ll be interested in seeing how this fits with employers’ needs, and to delve into sample questions when they are available.

  • Copado Launches DevOps COVID-19 Initiative

    Copado Launches DevOps COVID-19 Initiative

    Copado, a provider of a DevOps platform building and deploying applications on top of Salesforce software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications, will make its platform available for free to anyone working on applications to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

    In addition, Copado has launched a virtual DevOps training center and opened its DevOps community to anyone in the Salesforce ecosystem by making DevOps certifications available for free for 90 days to anyone who can pass an online examination. Previously, Copado charged $250 per certification.

    Andrew Leigh, senior vice president for marketing and alliances for Copado, said the goal of the Copado Cares program is to train more than 10,000 individuals how to implement best DevOps practices on Salesforce platforms this year.

    In terms of providing free access to its platform for building applications, Leigh said Copado is following the lead of Salesforce, which has launched its own Salesforce Cares initiative that provides free access to select cloud applications.

    Leigh said that Salesforce applications will prove more relevant in the weeks and months ahead as fledgling digital business initiatives that organizations have launched rapidly become the foundation on which business continuity plans are now based. With more individuals working from home, many businesses need to deploy additional digital marketing and customer support applications rapidly, he noted.

    The only way to achieve that goal is to embrace low-code development tools such as the ones provided by Salesforce, Leigh added. Those tools are already integrated with a suite of core applications, which Leigh said means IT organizations don’t need to write entire applications from the ground up. Instead, they can use low-code tools in combination with best DevOps practices to accelerate the development and deployment of applications.

    In the case of health care, Leigh added that a foundation of battle-tested software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications is crucial because new COVID-19 applications being rolled out need to work reliably the instant they are deployed. Beyond the reliability of the core platform, it’s more critical than ever to employ best DevOps processes to ensure those applications have been thoroughly tested, he said.

    Of course, network access to cloud applications can be uneven when everyone is working remotely, However, in time many organizations will increase the amount of bandwidth being made available to critical customers and end users alike. In fact, the economic uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to accelerate the rate at which organizations have been embracing cloud applications that are consumed on a per-user basis.

    In the meantime, it remains to be seen how long the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic might be or to what degree relief measures being put in place by countries around the world might mitigate it. Regardless, it’s apparent that organizations that rely on digital processes are more resilient. In some cases, such as the online delivery of entertainment and education services, there has been dramatic growth. The degree to which that growth can be sustained, of course, depends heavily on how much money consumers are willing to allocate to these services when millions of people are unemployed. Whatever the outcome, however, it’s going to be a brave new world of application software.

    — Mike Vizard

  • The Linux Foundation to Award 500 Training Scholarships

    The Linux Foundation to Award 500 Training Scholarships

    The Linux Foundation this week announced it will make up to 500 training scholarships available this year.

    Clyde Seepersad, general manager for training at the Linux Foundation, said the number of Linux Foundation Training (LiFT) Scholarships being made available is being increased because of both the demand for individuals with particular expertise such as Kubernetes and the fact that more people are spending more time at home. As such, many IT professionals have more time available to advance their skills, said Seepersad.

    Unfortunately, there are going to be many more unemployed IT professionals as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc across the global economy. Many of those individuals will need to attain additional certifications to compete in an IT job market that suddenly has much less demand and a pool of job candidates that has increased seemingly overnight.

    The scholarships being made available by The Linux Foundation are designed to encourage individuals with varying types of backgrounds to develop open source software expertise. They include:

    Open Source Newbies
    Teens-in-Training
    Women in Open Source
    Software Developer Do-Gooder
    SysAdmin Super Star
    Blockchain Blockbuster
    Cloud Captain
    Linux Kernel Guru
    Networking Notable
    Web Development Wiz

    Since 2011, more than 100 training and certification scholarships valued at more than $220,000 have been awarded by The Linux Foundation. The deadline for applying for the latest round of scholarships is April 30.

    The Linux Foundation is also making available its entire catalog of paid eLearning and certification exams available at 30% off through April 7.

    Seepersad said all the courses made available by The Linux Foundation are accessible online. Each exam administered is also recorded. Interestingly enough, Seepersad said the number of potential cheating incidents is far less online than in classrooms mainly because each individual taking an exam is recorded. There’s also more opportunity to potentially share answers in a traditional classroom setting, he noted.

    It’s unclear precisely how the COVID-19 pandemic might impact demand for IT skills going forward. While it’s clear there will be fewer IT professionals employed, there may be an actual increase in demand for individuals with open source expertise. During the last economic downturn many organizations adopted an “open source-first” philosophy to acquiring software as part of an effort to reduce IT costs. Many of those organizations determined they would rather allocate their much-reduced IT budgets to retaining IT staff than paying for commercial software, even if that meant the time and effort required to implement and manage that software was higher.

    At the same time, it’s worth noting many organizations may need to accelerate the rate at which they are modernizing their IT environments. Now that most employees and end customers are spending most of their time at home, many organizations are finding their existing portfolio of applications do not lend themselves easily to being remotely accessed. Some might even take advantage of open source container technologies to lift and shift entire existing legacy applications into the cloud because their IT staff may not be able to physically access a local data center for more than a month.

    Whatever the ultimate outcome, the one thing that is for certain is working in enterprise IT environments will never be the same again.

    — Mike Vizard

  • Jenkins World: Q&A with CloudBees CEO Sacha Labourey

    Jenkins World: Q&A with CloudBees CEO Sacha Labourey

     The Jenkins Community and DevOps professionals around the world are excited for Jenkins World, coming up in just a month, Aug. 28-31 in San Francisco. CloudBees, the hub of enterprise Jenkins and DevOps, is the lead organizer and premier sponsor of the event. We sat down with CloudBees CEO Sacha Labourey to discuss everything Jenkins World.

    NOTE: If you haven’t registered yet, there is still time! devopsy.kinsta.cloud readers can register now with the code JWDEVOPSCUST and get 20 percent off.

    Q: How has Jenkins World evolved since its inception?

    A: It’s been quite the journey since the beginning of Jenkins World. The very first Jenkins World was back in 2011. We had 200 people attending and we were extremely proud of that. The Jenkins project was still new, as it had just changed its name in 2011, so we were excited to see the community already coming together. Fast forward to 2017 and we’re expecting about 2,000 attendees at this year’s event. We’ve grown 10x since the first show and even from last year to this year we’re expecting almost 50 percent more attendees. It’s been great watching the conference mature and grow over the years. 2017 will be our best show yet!

    Q: What’s new at Jenkins World this year?

    A: This year we’re expanding everything, covering a wide range of topics including DevOps culture, process design, automated testing, performance measurement, security, leadership and more. We’ve added a welcome reception and evening event in the expo hall so attendees have more opportunities to network and learn from each other.

    Additionally, we’ll be kicking off the first-ever annual Jenkins World Awards. These awards recognize the achievements of CD innovators and Jenkins contributors from around the world. There are two award tracks: Jenkins Community Awards and CloudBees Innovation Awards. Winners in each track will be featured at Jenkins World.

    Q: What can attendees expect from the keynotes?

    A: We have a great lineup of keynotes this year, including myself! My keynote will be a state of the union that looks at what’s happened in the last year, what worked, what didn’t work and what we’ve learned from it. Stemming from that I’ll also offer a vision for the future. This will be actionable, and practical—something we can truly act on. I’m excited to say that there will be some significant announcements throughout the week as well.

    Kohsuke Kawaguchi will also be keynoting. His keynote is always excellent. He’ll offer a state of the union from the Jenkins community angle. He’ll go over the evolution of the Jenkins project and run through the latest numbers. It’s such a pleasure to watch him on stage each year; his talks are always exciting.

    We’re also thrilled that Jez Humble will be keynoting this year. He literally wrote the book on DevOps, so if you’re looking to learn about DevOps, he’s the man you want to hear. He’ll be discussing the DevOps market, challenges, opportunities, the evolving requirements and needs of DevOps professionals and more.

    Q: What advice do you have for first-time attendees?

    A: My advice is: Take advantage of the trainings, workshops and certification opportunities. Last year, workshops and training were a huge success, so we’re offering even more this year. It’s a great way to further your career. It’s very hands-on and provides an opportunity to show tangible results of how the conference helps you improve your skills and ultimately helps your career.

    Also, make sure to network with fellow professionals. It’s the perfect time to find out how others are approaching their projects, what challenges they faced and how they’ve overcome them. It’s such a great community of professionals to learn from.

    Q: Are there any sessions you recommend?

    A: I’d certainly recommend checking out some of the specialized vertical sessions. For example, we’ll have a number of sessions that focus on the financial services industry with speakers from Capital One, PayPal and more.

    We’ll also have some great DevSecOps presentations. It’s a very hot topic and is increasingly important in DevOps. I’d highly recommend attendees get to at least one of these sessions.

    Finally, there will be several sessions focused on testing—which often adds the most friction to delivery pipelines. These sessions will prove really helpful for attendees looking to enhance their testing processes.

    There you have it! This year’s show is bound to be bigger and better than ever before. Register now with your 20 percent off code: JWDEVOPSCUST.

    — Alan Shimel

  • Why Your Manager Will Want to Send You to Jenkins World 2017

    Why Your Manager Will Want to Send You to Jenkins World 2017

    Jenkins World 2017 is right around the corner. The conference will be held in San Francisco Aug. 28-31 and will be the biggest event of the year for Jenkins users, with approximately 2,000 people expected to be in attendance! You will not want to miss out on this event, full of learning and networking opportunities.

    Need some help convincing your manager why you should attend? No problem—we have laid out all the reasons why attending would be beneficial to you and your company. Once you have convinced your manager to attend, don’t forget to register today! (As a media sponsor for Jenkins World, we are providing a special offer for our readers. Register with this promotional code and get 20 percent off your registration: JWDEVOPSCUST.

    Educational Value

    Jenkins World will be offering more than 60 educational sessions given by real Jenkins experts—a chance to learn from the most experienced users. Did we mention that you can also receive a free Jenkins exam with the purchase of a full conference registration? Imagine the benefits for both your résumé and team.

    At the conference, you’ll be able to take advantage of great training sessions to better enhance your Jenkins capabilities. The training sessions include Jenkins Certification Training, Introduction to Jenkins, DevOps Leader Certification Training and DevOps Test Engineering Certification Training. We recommend highlighting to your manager what sessions you will want to attend in advance. Check out the full agenda here.

    Jenkins World is offering keynotes from many industry leaders. Be sure to emphasize to your manager the importance of hearing from the very best in the Jenkins community, live on stage and in the breakout sessions. From Jenkins founder Kohsuke Kawaguchi to CloudBees CEO Sacha Labourey and featured speaker Jez Humble, your manager will greatly appreciate the knowledge you bring back to the office from listening to such experienced industry experts.

    Networking Opportunities 

    The Jenkins World conference will provide numerous networking opportunities. Learn what similar problems and challenges other organizations are facing in the industry. Make it known to your manager that you will be exposed to people like you, with like business needs and challenges, that you will be able to connect with.

    Prove ROI

    When convincing your manager to let you attend, it is first important to make them aware of the potential ROI of this opportunity. Detail exactly your expenses including airfare, hotels and meals. This will better help your manager understand the exact cost to send you to Jenkins World. Make sure you also present how this knowledge will help push you and your team forward, ultimately propelling your entire organization forward. The ROI will be evident – make that clear! (And the ROI just got better, because devopsy.kinsta.cloud readers can use this discount code and get 20 percent off: JWDEVOPSCUST.)

    We hope this provides enough information to help you convince your manager to let you attend! We have also created an email template to use when sending all this over to your manager for review. Once you have successfully convinced your boss, go register!

    — Alan Shimel

  • 8 Reasons to Go ‘All In’ and Attend Jenkins World

    8 Reasons to Go ‘All In’ and Attend Jenkins World

    Jenkins World 2016, the world’s largest gathering of Jenkins users, is coming to the Santa Clara (California) Convention Center, Sept. 13-15. The lead organizing sponsor is CloudBees, along with a number of premier Jenkins ecosystem vendors including BlazeMeter, Undo and Black Duck. Jenkins World will offer attendees opportunities to learn, explore and network. This year’s theme is “All IN” as Jenkins users, experts and thought leaders prepare to go all in on DevOps.

    Need more convincing? Below are eight reasons to go all in at Jenkins World 2016:

    Hear keynotes from industry leaders — Kohsuke Kawaguchi, founder of the Jenkins project, kicks off the conference with the opening keynote this year. Other keynotes include Sacha Labourey, CEO of CloudBees, and Gary Gruver, former DevOps exec at Macys.com and HP and industry author. Rumor has it that Gene Kim may make a guest appearance, too!

    Attend training/workshop add-on options — Come to Jenkins World as an attendee, leave as a Jenkins master. Join us a day early to attend Jenkins certification training and/or learn the fundamentals of Docker and Jenkins. Additional workshops, covering topics such as plugin development, Jenkins certification and automating pipelines with the Pipeline plugin, are available.

    FREE certification! Your Jenkins World registration also provides you with the option to take a certification exam completely free! Did we mention it was FREE? All you have to do is sign up and study up!

    Brush shoulders with the Jenkins stars — Get access to some of the best Jenkins experts in the world; attend their sessions and network with them. The sessions cover a range of topics including infrastructure as code, security, containers, pipeline automation, best practices, scaling Jenkins and community development projects.

    Visit a variety of vendors — At the expanded Sponsor Expo you can check out a range of technologies and services that help you optimize software delivery with Jenkins.

    Pick up your next read — CloudBees Senior Consultant Viktor Farcic has recently published his book, “The DevOps 2.0 Toolkit: Automating the Continuous Deployment Pipeline with Containerized Microservices.” Be one of 200 lucky attendees to get a free copy and be sure to catch his session Sept. 13. We will even be hosting a book-signing with Viktor.

    Do you follow CommitStrip? They will be onsite and you can help them paint a custom Jenkins-themed mural!

    Meet the Butler and snap a selfie – You may have seen the Butler on @CloudBees engaged in some Xtreme social media adventures to get himself to Jenkins World, but at Jenkins World you’ll have the chance to meet him in person. Don’t forget to snap a pic with him at the social media station and share with your friends.

    All of this and so much more awaits you at Jenkins World. Go “All In” and register now! Use this code JWDEVOPSCUST and get 20 percent off your conference registration.

    See you in Santa Clara!